Three arrested in Ashok Kotwal assault case

The city police on Monday arrested three youths in connection with the Saturdays attack on Ashok Kotwal,the husband of Sarika Kotwal who is a Shiv Sena candidate for the civic by-poll from Bhosari ward of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

The city police on Monday arrested three youths in connection with the Saturdays attack on Ashok Kotwal,the husband of Sarika Kotwal who is a Shiv Sena candidate for the civic by-poll from Bhosari ward of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

Ashok was attacked by a small group near his residence on Saturday night. There were talks about political rivalry behind the attack even as police are investigating the case. Police said the suspects have been identified as Dnyaneshwar Ramdas Landge (22),Vijay Chandrakant Dhale (20) and Raju Bangali (23),all residents of Bhosari. Police have also declared around half a dozen persons absconding in the case.

Police said the assailants armed with sticks hit Kotwal on his head. Kotwal was rushed to a city hospital after the attack and is believed to be undergoing treatment.

The seat of the Bhosari Gaothan electoral ward number 35 fell vacant as the Nationalist Congress Partys (NCP) leader Seema Phuge was disqualified for submitting a fake caste certificate for the civic polls.

Shiv Senas Sarika Kotwal and NCPs Shraddha Lande are in poll fray for the by-poll.

After the incident,war of words started between Shiv Sena and NCP,with the Sena leaders openly blaming NCP for attack their party workers. The NCP,however,refuted the allegations and distanced themselves from the incident.

Meanwhile,police said they are probing links of the suspects with the political parties.

We will have more leads once we nab the absconding suspects, said a police officer.